Sound Sprint Teacher Guide
RTI Tier 2 Intervention Protocol
Sound Sprint Teacher Guide
Session Length: 45 Mins
2 Rotational Groups (3–5 Students)
Target Skills: Phoneme-Grapheme Automaticity, Continuous Blending, Decodable CVC Word Fluency.
45-Minute Dual-Group Session Architecture
00:00 – 05:00 (5 Min) Whole-Group Warmup
Rapid sound drill cards & sound deck sprint
05:00 – 23:00 (18 Min) Station Rotation 1
Grp A: Teacher Table
Grp B: Partner Mat & Encode
23:00 – 41:00 (18 Min) Station Rotation 2
Grp B: Teacher Table
Grp A: Partner Mat & Chain
41:00 – 45:00 (4 Min) Closing & Mastery Exit
Quick probe & progress tracker logging
Direct Instruction Scripts (Teacher-Led Station)
Routine A: Continuous Blending (No Choppy Breaks) I Do → We Do → You Do
Why it matters for High Tier 2: Eliminates memory drop-off caused by segmented pauses (e.g., saying "/m/ ... /a/ ... /t/" and then guessing "pan").
Teacher: "Watch my finger. I am going to sing the sounds together without stopping my voice: /mmmmaaaat/. What word? mat."
Teacher: "Let's sing it together as I drag my finger along the arrow: /sssaaaam/. What word? Sam."
Students: "Your turn. Finger on the first dot. Slide and sing: /sssuuun/ ... sun."
Routine B: Instant Error Correction Framework Stop immediately upon error
1. Stop & Model
Never let incorrect phoneme linger. "My turn. That vowel sound is /o/ like octopus."
2. Re-Blend Together
"Blend with me: /h/ /o/ /t/ → hot. Again together: hot."
3. Independent Check
"Your turn alone. Slide and blend." Verify mastery before advancing to next item.
Station 2: Autonomous Partner Practice Protocols Stamina & Accountability
• Whisper Phone / Soft Voices: Students read words in the "Sound Sprint Mat" using 6-inch voices. Partner uses pointer finger to track on the shared mat.
• Check & Coach Rule: Partner listens carefully. If friend stops or misreads, coach says: "Check the vowel sound" or "Sing the sounds".
Instructional Word Lists & Group Differentiation
Differentiated Phonics Word Matrix
Scope: Short Vowels / CVC
Tier 2 Sub-Group A
Continuous Blending Focus
Needs Flow
Target: Words starting with continuous sounds (/m/, /s/, /f/, /r/, /n/) into short a, i, o.
Set 1: Short /a/ & /i/
mat sam fan sat sit fin rim nip
Set 2: Short /o/ & /u/
mop fog rod sob sun run mud nut
Tier 2 Sub-Group B
Stop Consonant & Fluency Focus
Needs Speed
Target: Words with stop sounds (/b/, /p/, /t/, /d/, /k/) + short e & nonsense transfer.
Set 1: Real Decodables (All Short Vowels)
bad pet top dig bug web cot gum
Set 2: Nonsense Probes (Pure Decoding Check)
vab mip fot zud pem tib gox wup
45-Minute Intervention Fidelity Checklist
- Brisk Pacing: Spend ≤ 10 seconds per word card during the teacher station.
- No Guessing: Cue students to touch each letter before saying the whole word.
- Vowel Clarity: Clip short vowel sounds cleanly (do not add "uh" to consonants).
Tier 2 Decision Rules (Weekly):
• ≥ 90% accuracy + smooth blending: Advance student to consonant blends (CCVC/CVCC).
• 75%–89% accuracy: Maintain station practice with vowel contrast sorts.
• < 75% accuracy for 3 sessions: Flag for Tier 3 1:1 multi-sensory support.
Session Anecdotal Notes & Target Letters for Next Block: Date: ________________
Sound Sprint Exit Tracker
RTI Progress Monitoring • 45-Min Block
Sound Sprint Exit Tracker
Date:
Interventionist:
Administration: Probe each student individually on 5–10 items at station end. Mark ✓ for fluent continuous blend, / for choppy segmenting, 0 for error.
Target ≥ 80%
Group A: Continuous Blending Probe Items: mat, sit, fan, mop, run
Focus: Initial continuous sound → short vowel
| Student Name | 1. mat | 2. sit | 3. fan | 4. mop | 5. run | Score | Blending Type / Notes |
|---|
| 1. | | | | | | / 5 | [ ] Smooth [ ] Choppy [ ] Vowel error |
| 2. | | | | | | / 5 | [ ] Smooth [ ] Choppy [ ] Vowel error |
| 3. | | | | | | / 5 | [ ] Smooth [ ] Choppy [ ] Vowel error |
| 4. | | | | | | / 5 | [ ] Smooth [ ] Choppy [ ] Vowel error |
Group B: Speed & Nonsense Probe Items: bug, pet, vab*, fot*, zud*
* = Nonsense word (Pure decoding check)
| Student Name | 1. bug | 2. pet | 3. vab* | 4. fot* | 5. zud* | Score | Automaticity / Error Notes |
|---|
| 1. | | | | | | / 5 | [ ] Instant [ ] >3 sec [ ] Guessed |
| 2. | | | | | | / 5 | [ ] Instant [ ] >3 sec [ ] Guessed |
| 3. | | | | | | / 5 | [ ] Instant [ ] >3 sec [ ] Guessed |
| 4. | | | | | | / 5 | [ ] Instant [ ] >3 sec [ ] Guessed |
Error Diagnosis Guide
- Medial Vowel Slip: Said /a/ for /o/. → Re-anchor vowel hand cues and mouth shapes.
- Choppy / Drop-off: Sounds out /m/ /a/ /t/, says "rat". → Reinforce continuous singing without pause.